Francofolies @Kulturfabrik

IGORRR 

With 2017's Savage Sinusoid, Igorrr more than proved to be a truly unique musical force - and 2020's Spirituality And Distortion cements that well-earned reputation. Slamming together disparate musical styles ranging from death and black metal to breakcore, Balkan, baroque and classical music in a manner that is as unconventional and unpredictable as it is thrilling, Igorrr are unlike any other act, and Spirituality And Distortion displays just as broad a range of emotions as sounds. 

 DELUGE

France has long been a fertile breeding ground for black metal, and one of its best kept secrets is Déluge, who have been kicking up a blend of that genre and post-hardcore since 2014. Dropping their debut full-length Æther in 2015, in 2020 they return with sophomore effort Ægo Templo, a more accessible record that pushes their sound in ever more imaginative directions. 

Formed in north-east France, the members of Déluge creates a bright, powerful and honest music inspired by black metal, the band lay no claims to truly belonging to that scene, proudly labelling themselves in the beginning as 'untrve French black metal'. "It was almost a joke but actually I thought that it could define us well and act as a mark of honesty. I discovered the black metal scene very late and I really did not want to play the 'trve' card. I wanted to admit that I am not from the scene, though I hope we can add something to it." Their inclusion of post-hardcore and post-metal influences plus "clean and vociferous" vocals helps to separate them from their contemporaries and makes for a perhaps deeper listening experience. 

LYSISTRATA

Nothing can stand in the way of such an outpouring of energy, enthusiasm and creativity. Coming from radical musical backgrounds, Lysistrata manage to transcend the usual posthardcore, noise-rock labels with as much spontaneity as skill. The trio's electric assaults are irresistible to anyone and their nerve-wracking music appears as a sonic blessing, especially live where it reaches an almost miraculous intensity. A well known experiment undertaken by Benjamin Franklin at great personal risk, was to cause lightning to strike a kite in order to demonstrate its electrical nature. The essence of Lysistrata is found in this attempt to subdue an elemental force. This effort is characterised by candour, ambition, and the eventual mythization of the narrative. With a brave paradigm shift, Lysistrata revisit genres from before their time: Asymmetry, dissonance, and the loud/quiet writing codified by Sonic Youth and co. are combined by Ben Amos Cooper (drums, vocals), Theo Guéneau (guitar), and Max Roy (bass) with a sensitivity that is characteristic of their youth. This is expressed right down to the band's name, which was taken from an Aristophanes comedy rather than a DIY & home improvements catalogue.